How often do conditions match?

No opportunity windows are predicted in the next 10 days. Conditions can change quickly, so check back for updates.

More Dramatic Seascapes in California Coast

Rule Dramatic Seascapes

Malibu - Dramatic Seascapes - California Coast

Q: What conditions does Dramatic Seascapes look for?

Coastal Drama Score: ≥ 75.0%. Significant Wave Height: ≥ 1.5m. Visibility: ≥ 5000.0m. Wind Gusts: ≤ 22.0m/s. Precipitation Chance: ≤ 30.0%

Malibu, California, United States

Dramatic coastal photography conditions - powerful waves combined with atmospheric drama and good visibility for seascape shots.

No opportunities right now

Here’s what usually blocks matches

No Dramatic Seascapes opportunities in the next 14 days

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Rule requirements (key thresholds)

Coastal Drama Score · ≥ 75.0% Significant Wave Height · ≥ 1.5m Visibility · ≥ 5000.0m Wind Gusts · ≤ 22.0m/s

Tip: Scroll down to the 72-hour table to see exactly which condition fails hour by hour.

Most common blockers (next 72 hours)

Coastal Drama Score 100% failing

Significant Wave Height 100% failing

Precipitation Chance 81% failing

Currently

Real-time conditions

Coastal Drama Score

Wave Height0.4m

Swell Height0.2m

Wind Speed13.0m/s (moderate winds)

Cloud Cover100%

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in America/Los_Angeles

No opportunities in the next 10 days

See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast identifies when dramatic conditions align for coastal photography along California's legendary shoreline. We track cloud drama, visibility, and wind patterns to predict when the coast will come alive with photogenic conditions.

California's 840-mile coastline offers endless variety—from the towering cliffs of Big Sur to the sea stacks of Mendocino to the coves of Laguna Beach. The interplay between Pacific weather systems and the coastal mountains creates ever-changing conditions that can transform familiar locations.

What makes the California coast special for dramatic photography:

Dynamic weather - Pacific storms bring dramatic skies, and clearing conditions create spectacular light
Diverse geography - Sea stacks, arches, waterfalls, cliffs, and beaches in endless variety
Fog and mist - Marine layer creates moody atmosphere, especially summer mornings
Year-round access - Mild climate means photography opportunities in every season

The best dramatic conditions often occur during and after winter storms (November-March), when clearing skies can produce spectacular light. Summer brings reliable morning fog that burns off by midday, creating soft, ethereal conditions. Wind patterns affect wave action—some drama is good, but excessive gusts make shooting difficult. Check our forecast to time your coastal adventures.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour

0matching hours in the next 95 hours

AND logic: all conditions required

Meets requirement

Misses requirement

Time America/Los_Angeles	Coastal Drama Score ≥ 75.0%	Significant Wave Height ≥ 1.5m	Visibility ≥ 5000.0m	Wind Gusts ≤ 22.0m/s	Precipitation Chance ≤ 30.0%
Sun, Feb 15
11:00	6.8%	0.42m	24134m	3.7m/s	65%
12:00	7.3%	0.53m	24134m	3.9m/s	33%
13:00	6.9%	0.41m	24135m	3.7m/s	0%
14:00	6.8%	0.42m	24134m	3.6m/s	13%
15:00	7.6%	0.48m	24135m	3m/s	26%
16:00	8.5%	0.67m	24134m	2.6m/s	39%
17:00	9.2%	0.68m	24135m	2.7m/s	0%
18:00	8.8%	0.69m	24134m	1.9m/s	0%
19:00	3.1%	0.7m	24134m	2.1m/s	0%
20:00	3.4%	0.74m	24134m	2.4m/s	31%
21:00	7.7%	1.1m	24134m	3.2m/s	61%
22:00	14%	1.6m	24134m	3.9m/s	92%
23:00	14%	1.7m	24135m	4.5m/s	95%
Mon, Feb 16
24:00	14%	1.7m	24134m	5.7m/s	94%
01:00	14%	1.7m	24135m	6.3m/s	92%
02:00	14%	1.6m	24134m	6.8m/s	95%
03:00	9.5%	1.5m	24135m	7.9m/s	97%
04:00	14%	1.8m	24134m	8.4m/s	100%
05:00	13%	1.8m	23465m	9.2m/s	100%
06:00	17%	1.8m	6853m	11m/s	100%
07:00	15%	1.8m	4407m	11m/s	100%
08:00	17%	1.6m	7937m	13m/s	100%
09:00	16%	1.3m	7706m	14m/s	100%
10:00	4.5%	0.42m	4682m	15m/s	100%
11:00	5.5%	0.42m	1544m	19m/s	100%
12:00	6%	0.43m	1689m	13m/s	100%
13:00	7.8%	0.43m	13256m	16m/s	100%
14:00	7.8%	0.42m	19222m	11m/s	100%
15:00	8.8%	0.42m	8100m	12m/s	100%
16:00	8%	0.41m	9161m	12m/s	100%
17:00	12%	0.44m	10459m	11m/s	100%
18:00	10%	0.46m	9104m	11m/s	100%
19:00	4.5%	0.49m	11481m	10m/s	100%
20:00	3.8%	0.49m	24135m	8.7m/s	100%
21:00	2.8%	0.49m	17884m	7.3m/s	100%
22:00	3.1%	0.49m	13029m	7.6m/s	100%
23:00	2.6%	0.48m	9635m	8.2m/s	77%
Tue, Feb 17
24:00	2.6%	0.47m	9257m	7.6m/s	55%
01:00	3.1%	0.46m	11344m	6.5m/s	33%
02:00	3.4%	0.44m	13106m	6.1m/s	35%
03:00	3.3%	0.41m	23713m	5.1m/s	37%
04:00	2.8%	0.39m	24134m	3m/s	39%
05:00	2.8%	0.39m	24134m	2.6m/s	49%
06:00	8.1%	0.4m	24135m	2.6m/s	59%
07:00	12%	0.4m	24134m	3.1m/s	70%
08:00	8.8%	0.39m	24134m	3.1m/s	77%
09:00	10%	0.39m	24135m	3.5m/s	84%
10:00	11%	0.38m	21306m	3.6m/s	92%
11:00	11%	0.38m	19611m	4.7m/s	93%
12:00	11%	0.37m	15184m	6.5m/s	94%
13:00	10%	0.37m	13889m	7.1m/s	96%
14:00	9.1%	0.36m	18076m	7.7m/s	97%
15:00	14%	0.36m	24135m	9.2m/s	99%
16:00	13%	0.35m	24135m	9.4m/s	100%
17:00	16%	0.33m	24134m	9.7m/s	100%
18:00	11%	0.32m	24135m	12m/s	100%
19:00	3.5%	0.3m	17957m	12m/s	100%
20:00	3.5%	0.29m	17726m	13m/s	100%
21:00	3.3%	0.29m	13558m	15m/s	100%
22:00	3.3%	0.28m	13213m	15m/s	100%
23:00	3.1%	0.26m	8190m	17m/s	84%
Wed, Feb 18
24:00	3.2%	0.23m	8401m	18m/s	69%
01:00	3.2%	0.21m	8884m	21m/s	53%
02:00	3.8%	0.19m	9842m	22m/s	54%
03:00	3.8%	0.17m	23099m	20m/s	55%
04:00	3.6%	0.15m	24134m	19m/s	56%
05:00	4.3%	0.14m	24135m	19m/s	37%
06:00	15%	0.12m	24134m	17m/s	19%
07:00	12%	0.11m	24135m	15m/s	0%
08:00	16%	0.1m	24135m	14m/s	0%
09:00	16%	0.09m	24134m	13m/s	0%
10:00	14%	0.08m	24135m	13m/s	0%
11:00	13%	0.07m	24134m	11m/s	0%
12:00	16%	0.07m	24135m	11m/s	0%
13:00	14%	0.06m	24135m	11m/s	0%
14:00	14%	0.1m	24134m	11m/s	0%
15:00	9.2%	0.15m	24135m	11m/s	0%
16:00	8%	0.19m	24134m	11m/s	0%
17:00	12%	0.23m	24134m	10m/s	0%
18:00	12%	0.28m	24135m	9.1m/s	0%
19:00	3.8%	0.32m	24135m	8.1m/s	0%
20:00	3.6%	0.31m	24135m	7.1m/s	33%
21:00	3.9%	0.31m	24135m	6.1m/s	67%
22:00	3.3%	0.3m	24135m	5.1m/s	100%
23:00	2.5%	0.28m	18250m	5.1m/s	79%
Thu, Feb 19
24:00	1.8%	0.26m	12364m	5.1m/s	59%
01:00	0.9%	0.24m	6479m	5.1m/s	38%
02:00	1.2%	0.23m	5476m	8.5m/s	48%
03:00	1.3%	0.23m	4473m	12m/s	59%
04:00	2.1%	0.22m	3470m	15m/s	69%
05:00	4%	0.23m	10358m	12m/s	65%
06:00	11%	0.25m	17247m	7.8m/s	62%
07:00	10%	0.26m	24135m	4.1m/s	59%
08:00	6.5%	0.27m	24135m	3.5m/s	64%
09:00	6.5%	0.27m	24135m	3m/s	70%

How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Coastal Drama Score mean?

Inputs that drive the score

This derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.

Time America/Los_Angeles	High Clouds %	Low Clouds %	Mid-Level Clouds %	Primary Swell Height m	Primary Wave Direction °	Sea Salt AOD (550nm)	Solar Elevation °	Total Cloud Coverage %	Wind Direction °	Wind Speed m/s	Wind Wave Height m	Wind Wave Period s
Mon, Feb 16 Sunrise 06:38 Sunset 17:39
11:00 ☾	0%	100%	95%	0.2m	62°	0.02	41°	100%	145°	13m/s	0.35m	3.4s
12:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.19m	62°	0.04	44°	100%	251°	9.1m/s	0.35m	3.5s
13:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.17m	62°	0.03	42°	100%	258°	7.2m/s	0.36m	3.7s
14:00 ☾	0%	98%	100%	0.14m	61°	0.05	37°	100%	246°	6.6m/s	0.4m	3.6s
15:00 ☾	0%	87%	6%	0.11m	59°	0.06	29°	87%	242°	8.8m/s	0.43m	3.5s
16:00 ☾	0%	96%	0%	0.08m	58°	0.06	18°	96%	234°	8.9m/s	0.47m	3.4s
17:00 ☾	0%	97%	0%	0.11m	58°	0.06	7.3°	97%	252°	8.2m/s	0.5m	3.4s
18:00 ☾	0%	86%	0%	0.13m	59°	0.05	-4.8°	86%	261°	7.3m/s	0.54m	3.5s
19:00 ☾	0%	69%	0%	0.16m	60°	0.06	-17°	69%	274°	7.2m/s	0.57m	3.5s
20:00 ☾	0%	6%	0%	0.16m	60°	0.06	-30°	6%	281°	6.1m/s	0.57m	3.5s
21:00 ☾	0%	34%	100%	0.17m	61°	0.08	-42°	100%	272°	5.1m/s	0.57m	3.6s
22:00 ☾	0%	81%	100%	0.17m	62°	0.08	-53°	100%	263°	5.2m/s	0.57m	3.6s
23:00 ☾	0%	67%	100%	0.17m	61°	0.11	-63°	100%	255°	5.6m/s	0.56m	3.6s
Tue, Feb 17 Sunrise 06:37 Sunset 17:39
24:00 ☾	0%	30%	100%	0.17m	61°	0.15	-68°	100%	255°	5.2m/s	0.55m	3.5s
01:00 ☾	0%	21%	100%	0.17m	60°	0.12	-65°	100%	255°	4.5m/s	0.54m	3.5s
02:00 ☾	0%	34%	100%	0.16m	60°	0.07	-56°	100%	266°	4.2m/s	0.51m	3.4s
03:00 ☾	0%	8%	100%	0.15m	59°	0.04	-45°	100%	295°	3.8m/s	0.48m	3.4s
04:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.14m	58°	0.04	-33°	0%	327°	2.6m/s	0.45m	3.3s
05:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.14m	58°	0.04	-21°	0%	323°	2.1m/s	0.46m	3.3s
06:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.14m	59°	0.03	-8.4°	0%	306°	2m/s	0.46m	3.3s
07:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.14m	59°	0.03	3.9°	0%	299°	2.3m/s	0.47m	3.2s
08:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.14m	59°	0.02	15°	0%	289°	2.1m/s	0.46m	3.3s
09:00 ☾	0%	9%	0%	0.13m	59°	0.02	26°	9%	265°	2.1m/s	0.45m	3.3s
10:00 ☾	0%	40%	0%	0.13m	59°	0.02	35°	40%	225°	2.6m/s	0.44m	3.3s
11:00 ☾	0%	53%	0%	0.13m	59°	0.02	41°	53%	219°	3.5m/s	0.44m	3.3s
12:00 ☾	0%	31%	0%	0.13m	59°	0.02	44°	31%	227°	4.9m/s	0.43m	3.3s
13:00 ☾	0%	33%	1%	0.13m	59°	0.03	43°	33%	244°	5.3m/s	0.43m	3.3s
14:00 ☾	0%	23%	6%	0.11m	58°	0.03	37°	23%	265°	5.8m/s	0.4m	3.3s
15:00 ☾	0%	46%	39%	0.1m	57°	0.05	29°	57%	262°	6.9m/s	0.38m	3.2s
16:00 ☾	0%	6%	42%	0.08m	56°	0.07	19°	42%	255°	7.2m/s	0.35m	3.2s
17:00 ☾	0%	13%	41%	0.1m	56°	-	7.4°	41%	243°	7m/s	0.35m	3.1s
18:00 ☾	0%	96%	42%	0.11m	56°	-	-4.6°	99%	238°	8.5m/s	0.34m	3.1s
19:00 ☾	0%	95%	43%	0.13m	57°	-	-17°	95%	234°	9.3m/s	0.34m	3s
20:00 ☾	0%	97%	92%	0.12m	56°	-	-29°	99%	234°	10m/s	0.33m	3s
21:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.1m	55°	-	-42°	100%	235°	12m/s	0.33m	2.9s
22:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.09m	54°	-	-53°	100%	234°	12m/s	0.32m	2.9s
23:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.11m	54°	-	-63°	100%	240°	12m/s	0.3m	2.8s
Wed, Feb 18 Sunrise 06:36 Sunset 17:40
24:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.13m	54°	-	-67°	100%	238°	13m/s	0.27m	2.8s
01:00 ☾	0%	100%	100%	0.15m	54°	-	-65°	100%	238°	15m/s	0.25m	2.8s
02:00 ☾	0%	93%	36%	0.14m	58°	-	-56°	93%	239°	14m/s	0.24m	2.9s
03:00 ☾	0%	100%	75%	0.13m	63°	-	-45°	100%	274°	13m/s	0.22m	3s
04:00 ☾	0%	98%	37%	0.12m	67°	-	-33°	98%	292°	11m/s	0.21m	3s
05:00 ☾	0%	100%	0%	0.11m	95°	-	-21°	100%	287°	12m/s	0.17m	4.2s
06:00 ☾	0%	76%	0%	0.11m	123°	-	-8.2°	76%	288°	12m/s	0.12m	5.4s
07:00 ☾	0%	1%	0%	0.1m	150°	-	4.1°	1%	287°	10m/s	0.08m	6.6s
08:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.09m	154°	-	16°	0%	287°	10m/s	0.08m	9.1s
09:00 ☾	0%	1%	0%	0.08m	158°	-	26°	1%	286°	10m/s	0.07m	12s
10:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.07m	163°	-	35°	0%	288°	9.7m/s	0.07m	14s
11:00 ☾	0%	3%	0%	0.07m	163°	-	42°	3%	290°	9.4m/s	0.07m	14s
12:00 ☾	0%	39%	0%	0.07m	163°	-	45°	39%	282°	9.4m/s	0.08m	14s
13:00 ☾	0%	27%	0%	0.07m	163°	-	43°	27%	281°	9.7m/s	0.08m	14s
14:00 ☾	0%	5%	0%	0.07m	127°	-	38°	5%	281°	10m/s	0.11m	9.9s
15:00 ☾	0%	3%	0%	0.08m	92°	-	29°	3%	282°	9.8m/s	0.15m	6.1s
16:00 ☾	0%	0%	0%	0.08m	56°	-	19°	0%	283°	9.1m/s	0.18m	2.2s
17:00 ☾	0%	2%	26%	0.12m	54°	-	7.6°	26%	285°	8.3m/s	0.22m	2.4s
18:00 ☾	1%	3%	52%	0.15m	53°	-	-4.4°	52%	287°	7.5m/s	0.26m	2.6s
19:00 ☾	2%	5%	78%	0.19m	52°	-	-17°	78%	289°	6.7m/s	0.3m	2.8s
20:00 ☾	1%	37%	53%	0.2m	70°	-	-29°	85%	285°	5.7m/s	0.3m	3s
21:00 ☾	0%	68%	29%	0.21m	89°	-	-41°	93%	281°	4.6m/s	0.3m	3.2s
22:00 ☾	0%	100%	4%	0.22m	108°	-	-53°	100%	277°	3.6m/s	0.3m	3.4s
23:00 ☾	0%	100%	31%	0.21m	131°	-	-62°	100%	251°	3.5m/s	0.23m	3.7s
Thu, Feb 19 Sunrise 06:35 Sunset 17:41
24:00 ☾	0%	100%	57%	0.19m	153°	-	-67°	100%	226°	3.4m/s	0.17m	4s
01:00 ☾	0%	100%	84%	0.18m	176°	-	-64°	100%	200°	3.3m/s	0.1m	4.4s
02:00 ☾	0%	98%	86%	0.19m	179°	-	-56°	98%	204°	6.3m/s	0.1m	4.8s
03:00 ☾	0%	96%	88%	0.2m	182°	-	-45°	96%	208°	9.3m/s	0.1m	5.2s
04:00 ☾	0%	94%	89%	0.21m	185°	-	-33°	94%	212°	12m/s	0.1m	5.6s
05:00 ☾	0%	65%	60%	0.21m	185°	-	-20°	65%	245°	9.2m/s	0.1m	5.7s
06:00 ☾	0%	36%	30%	0.22m	185°	-	-8°	36%	279°	6.2m/s	0.1m	5.7s
07:00 ☾	0%	7%	0%	0.22m	185°	-	4.3°	7%	312°	3.2m/s	0.1m	5.8s
08:00 ☾	0%	9%	0%	0.23m	185°	-	16°	9%	256°	3.2m/s	0.09m	5.8s
09:00 ☾	0%	11%	0%	0.23m	185°	-	26°	11%	200°	3.1m/s	0.07m	5.8s
10:00 ☾	0%	13%	0%	0.24m	186°	-	36°	13%	143°	3.1m/s	0.06m	5.8s

How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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